We’ve all become accustomed to seeing people in high visibility workwear. Of course, it hasn’t always been this way. High-vis was actually invented in the 1930s by an American soldier who experienced an industrial accident.
It’s taken many years for it to catch on and become the common sight it is today. This is surprising, considering the importance of wearing it. Today, there are strict rules surrounding the type of material that classifies as hi-vis and it’s reflective standards.
That’s why it pays to purchase high-quality hi-vis workwear from a reputable supplier.
The importance of High Visibility Workwear
The most obvious benefit is that it saves lives. Hi-vis is designed to be seen. If you’re a road worker in wet conditions or working at night, the hi-vis will be seen by road users and help to prevent them from crashing into you.
Equally, if you’re working in a warehouse, wearing a hi-vis ensures that the forklift driver can see you and doesn’t accidentally run you over or pin you to something. There are lots of situations where being visible can make the difference between staying healthy and suffering a serious, or even life-threatening, injury.
The probe for most employers is that they can see the risks but the employees don’t always recognize them. That’s why it can be difficult to enforce the hi-vis policy. But, when you realize how a lack of hi-vis can affect your company you’ll soon make sure that all employees are wearing it when required.
- Insurance
If you’ve identified ties when hi-vis needs to be worn and your employees aren’t wearing them then you, the employer, become liable. After all, it’s your job to ensure they wear the appropriate safety clothing and adhere to safety codes.
If they are not wearing hi-vis your insurance company can cancel your cover, or increase the cost of it. This can create an array of issues for you and your business.
- Downfall Of The Company
As a business you need to have insurance, it covers health costs and other compensation if accidents happen or equipment fails. But, if your insurance is invalidated and something goes wrong the company will be liable for the damages. The cost of settling accident claims can be substantial, potentially ending the business.
- Potential Fines
A fine may not put you out of business but it could seriously affect your profits and ability to trade successfully for several years. The government can impose high penalties if you’re found to be ignoring hi-vis clothing when it should be worn.
Again, this can have a seriously detrimental effect on your business, including damaging your reputation.
Ensuring Hi-Vis Is Worn
It can be hard to ensure that hi-vis is worn all the time by your employees. However, when you realize how devastating the consequences could be to you, the business, and the affected employee, you’ll know enforcing the hi-vis policy is essential.
This means regular training and tells the employees what is at stake, if they can’t respect the policy after learning this then they probably shouldn’t be working for you.
